by Hasan Mansoor
The Achchi Qabar (means white grave in Sindhi for its appearance) is a legendary monument in famous Mithadar area. This is the shrine of Hazrat Noor Shah Ghazi who is famous as Dada (grandpa) among Old Mithadarians.
The myth is that Dada Noor Shah Ghazi was a saint who had great affection for children. The children of Mithadar would go at his shrine and play there. People believe the saint would be playing with kids in the premises and some children, now in their 70s and 80s still narrate their childhood games at the shrine with firm belief that the Dada was among them.
“I still remember an incident that my living friends can corroborate,” says sexagenarian Mohammad Ali, “A woman saw his son sitting onto the grave of Dada in the shrine. She beat him and asked him not to do it again. The same night his son saw and neighbours heard the woman screaming wildly as if someone was beating her. She later said the Dada was annoyed with her for preventing her son from playing with him and warned her of graver consequences if she did it again.”
Equally important character of Mithadar was Aasoo Halwai, a Hindu confectioner having a monumental popularity in the little Karachi for his tasty sweets. Dada Noor Shah Ghazi, many old residents say, would be visible sometimes. He would often visit Aasoo Halwai’s shop in Sarafa Bazaar and take some platters of sweets. Neither Dada would pay Halwai anything nor the confectioner would demand the same. Dada would put something invisible in the money-box placed at a table and distribute sweets among children.
“Aasoo Halwai never stopped Dada from taking sweets for free, yet surprisingly he became prosperous and wealthier. Perhaps, it was Dada’s blessing that made him richer,” Ali says.
Now, when the twin neighbourhoods of Kharadar and Mithadar have changed altogether, the myths of Dada have become things of the past. Annual Urs at his Achchi Qabar still takes place but he is now merely a saint for the organisers and not of children.
In pre-partition days, Mithadar and Kharadar were mainly residential localities and were spacious enough for joy walk. Automobiles were rare enough space was there to walk and ride bicycles.
“Imagine, 60 years ago, I would go on bicycle from Mithadar to Kharadar to visit my aunt and would find no automobile all the way,” Anis Memon, an old resident, says.
“Now you see a maddening traffic here and people in hurry coming from all directions.”
Aasoo Halwai’s family had shifted to India after the partition and one of Dada's kids who visited Mumbai says Aasoo's grandchildren are engaged in the same business. They have many outlets in towns of Maharashtra and Gujarat states.
His shop is now owned by a family migrated from India and sells jewellery.
2011
The Achchi Qabar (means white grave in Sindhi for its appearance) is a legendary monument in famous Mithadar area. This is the shrine of Hazrat Noor Shah Ghazi who is famous as Dada (grandpa) among Old Mithadarians.
“I still remember an incident that my living friends can corroborate,” says sexagenarian Mohammad Ali, “A woman saw his son sitting onto the grave of Dada in the shrine. She beat him and asked him not to do it again. The same night his son saw and neighbours heard the woman screaming wildly as if someone was beating her. She later said the Dada was annoyed with her for preventing her son from playing with him and warned her of graver consequences if she did it again.”
Equally important character of Mithadar was Aasoo Halwai, a Hindu confectioner having a monumental popularity in the little Karachi for his tasty sweets. Dada Noor Shah Ghazi, many old residents say, would be visible sometimes. He would often visit Aasoo Halwai’s shop in Sarafa Bazaar and take some platters of sweets. Neither Dada would pay Halwai anything nor the confectioner would demand the same. Dada would put something invisible in the money-box placed at a table and distribute sweets among children.
“Aasoo Halwai never stopped Dada from taking sweets for free, yet surprisingly he became prosperous and wealthier. Perhaps, it was Dada’s blessing that made him richer,” Ali says.
Now, when the twin neighbourhoods of Kharadar and Mithadar have changed altogether, the myths of Dada have become things of the past. Annual Urs at his Achchi Qabar still takes place but he is now merely a saint for the organisers and not of children.
In pre-partition days, Mithadar and Kharadar were mainly residential localities and were spacious enough for joy walk. Automobiles were rare enough space was there to walk and ride bicycles.
“Imagine, 60 years ago, I would go on bicycle from Mithadar to Kharadar to visit my aunt and would find no automobile all the way,” Anis Memon, an old resident, says.
“Now you see a maddening traffic here and people in hurry coming from all directions.”
Aasoo Halwai’s family had shifted to India after the partition and one of Dada's kids who visited Mumbai says Aasoo's grandchildren are engaged in the same business. They have many outlets in towns of Maharashtra and Gujarat states.
His shop is now owned by a family migrated from India and sells jewellery.
2011
Really interesting carry on Hasaan my Dear
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